JOSHUA TREE — Tony Award and three-time Emmy Award-winning actor Hal Linden, (Barney Miller, Gilmore Girls) and well-loved veteran film and TV actor Barry Cutler, (Scrubs, Deuce Bigalow) will split the bill for performances of the world premiere of Charles Evered’s An Actor’s Carol, produced by the Hi-Desert Cultural Center’s prestigious Hi-Desert Playhouse theater division and directed by Evered. Linden will launch the premiere’s opening weekend of three performances December 4th and 5th, with Cutler closing the premiere’s finale weekend of three performances December 11th and 12th.

An Actor’s Carol tells the story of Hugh Pendleton, a world weary and cynical actor who has played the role of Scrooge one too many times and is visited by three ghosts of his own. The play is described as a “fun-loving and respectful” take on the Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol.

In addition to Linden and Cutler, a talented ensemble of actors will play 16 various roles during the fast-paced one-act play. The ensemble includes: Noelle Geiger; Kirk Geiger, most recently appearing in Kurando Mitsutake’s Karate Kill (2016) and best known for his work in Sordid Lives—appearing in both the film and the original theatrical production; and Ben Atkinson, a writer and director (2forStew, Jinxed and Gina’s Type). Both Cutler and Geiger were cast at the Cultural Center’s recent season-wide auditions. “The atmosphere and level of professionalism at the Cultural Center are absolutely first-rate. Having lived part time in Joshua Tree, I know what a haven it is for artists and I can’t think of a better place to premiere my new play,” explains Evered.

Located in the arts mecca of Joshua Tree, California, the Hi-Desert Cultural Center (HDCC) is one of the desert’s most successful producing organizations, celebrating over 50 years of award-winning entertainment and arts education. In addition to producing the Joshua Tree Philharmonic, an international improv/comedy festival, art galleries and exhibits, a first-class arts academy program with over 250 student enrollments, music concerts, and more, HDCC’s impressive new season will also stage 12 theatrical productions under the leadership of its Playhouse Artistic Director, Howard Shangraw (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Fantastic Four).

“When you find yourself laughing out loud while reading a script, you know you have a winner,” stated HDCC President Jarrod Radnich (renowned musician, composer and featured artist for Disney, Musicnotes, PianoDisc, Mason & Hamlin). “Charles Evered is a brilliant writer, and it’s an honor to be working with him again in bringing his newest script and theatrical ‘adventure’ to the stage.”

Evered, an award-winning playwright and filmmaker is a graduate of the famed Yale School of Drama and a former naval officer. He has written screenplays for major studios and directed two features of his own. His plays Adopt a Sailor and Class both had their Hi-Desert premieres at HDCC. Evered also wrote for the hit TV show Monk, starring Tony Shalhoub. Currently, he is Professor of Playwriting at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) where he served as the department’s first artistic director.

The production of An Actor’s Carol is sponsored in part by UCR’s Office of Research and Economic Development as well as its Department of Theatre, Film and Digital Production.

UCR’s Palm Desert Center will host a reception and “meet and greet” with the company of An Actor’s Carol at 6pm on December 1st.

Performance Dates for An Actor’s Carol are as follows:
Hal Linden will star December 4th at 7pm, and December 5th at 2pm and 7pm. Barry Cutler will star December 11th at 7pm and December 12th at 2pm and 7pm.

For tickets and more information, contact the Hi-Desert Cultural Box Office at 760.366.3777 EXT 1, or purchase tickets online at www.hidesertculturalcenter.org

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The HI-DESERT CULTURAL CENTER is a multi-theater commercial complex that has been the major force promoting the performing and visual arts in Joshua Tree and the surrounding Southern California desert communities for over 50 years.

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GREAT NEWS FOR SEASON PACKAGE TICKET HOLDERS! Should your schedule change and you find yourself needing to attend a performance on a different date — if you give the Box Office at least 48 hours notice prior to your ticketed performance, management will attempt to exchange your ticket for a different performance of the same show!

ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES ARE GUARANTEED; HOWEVER, WE WILL ATTEMPT TO EXCHANGE YOUR TICKET FOR A DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE OF THE SAME PRODUCTION IF REQUESTED AT LEAST 48 HOURS PRIOR TO YOUR TICKETED PERFORMANCE. NO EXCHANGES OR REFUNDS WILL BE ALLOWED FOR A MISSED PERFORMANCE. IN THE EVENT THAT A PERFORMANCE IS CANCELLED FOR WHICH THERE IS NO RESCHEDULED PERFORMANCE DATE, A REFUND FOR THAT TICKETED PERFORMANCE MAY BE ISSUED AT THE OPTION OF THE MANAGEMENT.

YOU ASSUME ALL RISK AND DANGER INCIDENTAL TO THE GAME, EXHIBITION, EVENT, OR PERFORMANCE WHETHER OCCURRING PRIOR TO, DURING, OR AFTER SAID SHOW. YOU ASSUME ALL RISK AND DANGER OF INJURY AND YOU AGREE THAT THE MANAGEMENT, ITS AGENTS, AND THE PERFORMERS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY INJURIES RESULTING FROM SUCH CAUSES. NO ALCOHOL, DRUGS, WEAPONS, FOOD, OR GLASS CONTAINERS ALLOWED. NO RECORDING DEVICES, STILL CAMERAS, OR VIDEO CAMERAS PERMITTED. NO TRANSMISSION OR AIDING IN TRANSMITTING ANY DESCRIPTION, ACCOUNT, PICTURE, OR REPRODUCTION OF THE EVENT, GAME, PERFORMANCE, OR EXHIBITION. YOU HEREBY CONSENT TO THE REASONABLE SEARCH FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, DRUGS, OR WEAPONS. YOU FURTHER CONSENT TO THE USE OF YOUR IMAGE OR LIKENESS INCIDENTAL TO ANY DISPLAY, TRANSMISSION, OR REPRODUCTION OF THE EVENT. MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ADMISSION OR EJECT ANY PERSON WHOSE CONDUCT IS DEEMED BY MANAGEMENT TO BE DISORDERLY OR WHO FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS HEREIN. IN THE EVENT OF A CANCELLATION FOR WHICH THERE IS NO RESCHEDULED DATE, A REFUND FOR THIS TICKET MAY BE ISSUED AT THE OPTION OF THE MANAGEMENT AND MAY NOT INCLUDE ADDITIONAL TICKETING FEES (I.E., TICKETING OPERATIONS FEE, SHIPPING FEES, ETC.).

GREAT NEWS FOR SEASON PACKAGE TICKET HOLDERS! Should your schedule change and you find yourself needing to attend a performance on a different date — if you give the Box Office at least 48 hours notice prior to your ticketed performance, management will attempt to exchange your ticket for a different performance of the same show!

ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES ARE GUARANTEED; HOWEVER, WE WILL ATTEMPT TO EXCHANGE YOUR TICKET FOR A DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE OF THE SAME PRODUCTION IF REQUESTED AT LEAST 48 HOURS PRIOR TO YOUR TICKETED PERFORMANCE. NO EXCHANGES OR REFUNDS WILL BE ALLOWED FOR A MISSED PERFORMANCE. IN THE EVENT THAT A PERFORMANCE IS CANCELLED FOR WHICH THERE IS NO RESCHEDULED PERFORMANCE DATE, A REFUND FOR THAT TICKETED PERFORMANCE MAY BE ISSUED AT THE OPTION OF THE MANAGEMENT.

YOU ASSUME ALL RISK AND DANGER INCIDENTAL TO THE GAME, EXHIBITION, EVENT, OR PERFORMANCE WHETHER OCCURRING PRIOR TO, DURING, OR AFTER SAID SHOW. YOU ASSUME ALL RISK AND DANGER OF INJURY AND YOU AGREE THAT THE MANAGEMENT, ITS AGENTS, AND THE PERFORMERS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY INJURIES RESULTING FROM SUCH CAUSES. NO ALCOHOL, DRUGS, WEAPONS, FOOD, OR GLASS CONTAINERS ALLOWED. NO RECORDING DEVICES, STILL CAMERAS, OR VIDEO CAMERAS PERMITTED. NO TRANSMISSION OR AIDING IN TRANSMITTING ANY DESCRIPTION, ACCOUNT, PICTURE, OR REPRODUCTION OF THE EVENT, GAME, PERFORMANCE, OR EXHIBITION. YOU HEREBY CONSENT TO THE REASONABLE SEARCH FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, DRUGS, OR WEAPONS. YOU FURTHER CONSENT TO THE USE OF YOUR IMAGE OR LIKENESS INCIDENTAL TO ANY DISPLAY, TRANSMISSION, OR REPRODUCTION OF THE EVENT. MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ADMISSION OR EJECT ANY PERSON WHOSE CONDUCT IS DEEMED BY MANAGEMENT TO BE DISORDERLY OR WHO FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS HEREIN. IN THE EVENT OF A CANCELLATION FOR WHICH THERE IS NO RESCHEDULED DATE, A REFUND FOR THIS TICKET MAY BE ISSUED AT THE OPTION OF THE MANAGEMENT AND MAY NOT INCLUDE ADDITIONAL TICKETING FEES (I.E., TICKETING OPERATIONS FEE, SHIPPING FEES, ETC.).